Indulekha is angry. And she has reasons to be. An Independent candidate at Poonjar, she is contesting with the support of the Kerala Catholic Reform Movement which is vehemently opposed by the Catholic hierarchy. Incidentally, two of her opponents, the mainstream candidates Georgekutty Auguasthy of the United Democratic Front and P.C. Joseph of the Left Democratic Front, are openly aligning with the Church.
Ms. Indulekha has a grouse with the mainstream media too, which, according to her, give little space for her campaign. Interestingly, most of the issues she takes up, including that of corruption, coincide with that of another Independent candidate, P.C. George. Ms. Indulekha might be a loner. But Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) [SUCI(C)] has a national footprint and has fielded 31 candidates in the State, out of them 10 are women. “They all have come up through struggles,” said Jaison Joseph, district secretary.
The mainstream parties have restricted the term ‘development’ to construction works, obliterating the real meaning.
The party stands for a total revamp of the public health system and the public education system. “An effective public health dispensation system will do away with the need for the Karunya project and an efficient public education system will do away with the need for bank loans,” he said.
The SUCI(C) has made its presence felt in professional colleges and among private CBSE schoolteachers and have pockets of influences in colonies.
They are banking on the votes of the disillusioned sympathisers of the mainstream Left.
Unpleasant truths
Mr. Joseph too is angry at the mainstream media. “It is a corporate-controlled media and they are not ready to publish unpleasant truths that we take up,” he said.
CPI(ML-Red Star), with K.N. Ramachandran as national general secretary, has fielded 18 candidates of its own. They are supporting the Slum Dwellers’ Movement in Kochi and the Western Ghats Conservation Committee in Perumbavoor, according to P.J. James, party politburo member.
The party stands for a people’s alternative to the neoliberal policies and has established pockets of influence among the marginalised sections. “The small parties have problems with mobilising election fund and the decision of the mainstream media to restrict their space to the three mainstream parties has constrained our campaign,” he says.
Take for example Ms. Indulekha. She is the fighting the elections on a shoe-string budget of Rs.5 lakh.
Samajwadi Jan Parishad, which is active in people’s struggles in mining and project areas, has chosen to keep away from the contests in Kerala. “We don’t have the wherewithal to fight an election. We would rather mobilise these funds for carrying on with our struggles in Niyamgiri (Odisha) and other parts,” said Joshy Jacob, president.
The party is supporting a few of the Independents. “Only those who have corporate funding will be able to fight in the election now,” he said.
Burdened by heavy expenditure and almost blacked out by the mainstream media, these candidates are struggling, but taking forward a struggle, the time of which has not come. They are angry and have a reason to be.
